Olive Thorne Miller
One of the most interesting birds who ever lived in my Bird Room was a
blue jay named Jakie. He was full of business from morning till night,
scarcely ever a moment still.
Poor little fellow! He had been stole... Read more of THE BUSY BLUE JAY at Children Stories.ca

Grammar-spelling-pronunciation

Five Hundred Common Errors Corrected

Concise Rules for the Proper Use of Words in Writing or Speaking.

The most objectionable errors in speaking or writing are those in which
words are employed that are unsuitable to convey the meaning intended.
Thus, a person wishing to express his intention of going to a given
place says, I propose going, when, in fact, he purposes going. The
following affords an amusing illustration of this class of error: A
venerable matron was speaking of her son, who, she said, was quite
stage-struck: In fact, remarked the old lady, he is going to a
premature performance this evening! Considering that most amateur
performances are premature, it cannot be said that this word was
altogether misapplied, though, evidently, the maternal intention was to
convey quite another meaning.

Other errors arise from the substitution of sounds similar to the words
which should be employed; that is, spurious words instead of genuine
ones. Thus, some people say renumerative, when they mean
remunerative. A nurse, recommending her mistress to have a
perambulator for her child, advised her to purchase a preamputator!

Other errors are occasioned by imperfect knowledge of English grammar;
thus, many people say, Between you and I, instead of Between you and
me. And there are numerous other departures from the rules of grammar,
which will be pointed out hereafter.

Misuse of the Adjective--What beautiful butter! What a nice
landscape! They should say, What a beautiful landscape! What nice
butter! Again, errors are frequently occasioned by the following
causes:

Misdivision of Words and Syllables--This defect makes the words an
ambassador sound like a nambassador, or an adder like a nadder.

Imperfect Enunciation--As when a person says hebben for heaven, ebber
for ever, jocholate for chocolate.

To correct these errors by a systematic course of study would involve a
closer application than most persons could afford, but the simple and
concise rules and hints here given, founded upon usage and the authority
of scholars, will be of great assistance to inquirers.